Off Topics > **Century Heli Quality Issue: Potential Hawk Buyers Read This
corn_tortilla Heliman Location: Round Rock
pistole,
I did do a preflight check on the bird. I precheck my swashlink ball-links by pushing up, pushing down, pushing across, pulling in. If there's another way please share with the group. NOTE: Using a sledgehammer isn't viable for me.
Falcon, according to Century -- the ball-link came out of the swashplate because it was the wrong size and didn't have enought grip to hold from the pressure.
Here's a pic taken ~2 weeks back of the fuselage before I put the labels, clearcoat, and lights on the ship.
~Corn
02-09-2004 05:18 PM
SteveH rrProfessor Location: Texas
Just went thru the entire listing at heli-world with a search for "ball", several pages, and I found two balls listed with a 2mm stud. One was a Miniature Aircraft part, and one was a Century part, but the Century part was an "ultrashort stainless" ball. Corn's ball is black and standard short length.
It appears to me the ball that Corn has is not even a Century part, and maybe that is why Century refused to be responsible for the damages.
SteveH Magnum Fuel AMA76186
02-09-2004 05:19 PM
shootist Senior Heliman Location: New York State, East Coast US
SteveH:
Century does use 2mm studs in several places, one of which is the tail blade holder on my Pred Max 90. Incidentally, one of these snapped during routine installation. More on that some other time.
02-09-2004 05:23 PM
corn_tortilla Heliman Location: Round Rock
Steve,
I just did a search on heli-worlds site under "ball link" and found multiple hits with black. I know that they're were other BLACK ball links in the kit, as I had to put some on the servo. If they don't even sell those type of ball-links, then how does the swashplate make it pass their QA? It makes them look that much more bad?
I don't have access to micrometer, or the bad swashplate anymore (They never shipped it back) so I can't get you exact measurements. I know what I saw, and the rest is dependant upon what I heard back from Century.
I don't have access to micrometer, or the bad swashplate anymore (They never shipped it back) so I can't get you exact measurements.
Hiding the evidence, ahhh it never happened. I can't believe they will not stand behind their malfunctions. Piss poor company it seems, were speaking of a wholesale value in replacement costs. But then they would have admitted there was a problem and they are not going to admit they have a quality control issue. I hope all who see this keep Century’s customer service in mind when they consider one of their heli’s.
shootist Senior Heliman Location: New York State, East Coast US
Quote
I hope all who see this keep Century’s customer service in mind when they consider one of their heli’s.
I've seen Century's customer service first hand, (bet you haven't, rickc!) and I'm so pleased with the total package that I'm planning on buying two more Centurys.
The ball you guys are talking about are 1 1/2 mm studded balls, like the ones used in the servo arms.
SteveH Magnum Fuel AMA76186
02-09-2004 05:56 PM
funkyflyer Veteran Location: Griffith, IN.
Um, Centurys customer service is the whole reason I bought a Hawk for my first nitro heli. After I bought my Hummingbird, a man named Dennis was very helpful in getting me in the air, including replacing some parts that were bad. He was very patient explaining the same thing to me over and over until I decided to listen. Any time I have a question about an order, I get an e- mail reply or phone assistance right away.
Wow, the ground was closer than I thought.
02-09-2004 05:57 PM
the Wasp rrProfessor Location: Vt
funny how the threads on the balls in the photo's don't look like 1&1/2mm or even 2mm,,, they look to be the same size as the 3mm linkage...
Jim
Jim Buzz Buzz Buzz
02-09-2004 06:14 PM
SteveH rrProfessor Location: Texas
You guys are right, CNLR1013 is a 2 mm ball, however it is a allen socket ball.
SteveH Magnum Fuel AMA76186
02-09-2004 06:19 PM
the Wasp rrProfessor Location: Vt
Ray, your syllogism is completely contingent, in the matter of it's terms !!
Jim
Jim Buzz Buzz Buzz
02-09-2004 07:10 PM
shootist Senior Heliman Location: New York State, East Coast US
Quote
You guys are right, CNLR1013 is a 2 mm ball, however it is a allen socket ball.
Steve:
Yep, and I for one think that's a lousy design idea. The 2mm stud is integral to, and machined with, the ball. I removed the 2 mm stud/ball from my tail rotor blade holders, (they came out easily), put a tiny drop of slo CA on the 2mm stud, and then re-bolted it into the blade holders using a straight Wiha allen driver.
The ball broke off from the stud before the ball was in contact with the blade holder. I would subjectively rate the force to break the stud as "little to none" . The broken stud was embedded forever in the blade holder.
I sent the defective part to Century a few weeks ago, and recommended they take a good look at the break.
I replaced both of these 2mm integral studs/balls with JR balls and JR 2mm machine screws.
I would recommend that owners of the Predator inspect and or replace the 2mm integral stud/ball in the tail rotor blade holders.
You guys kill me. No wonder people get so many posts and end up with "Elite Veteran" status.
So what do you do with the bottom line? As I see it, either Century preassembled the wrong ball into a swashplate, which resulted in the failure of the assembly and caused a crash, then denys responsibility, and tells their customer "too bad." OR Corn is a liar who disassembled a preassembled part, then reassembled it with a wrong part, and is trying to blame Century for the whole thing. OR This is all fiction --- which Corn made up just to see what would happen on RR.
I, for one, consider the first option the most likely, which takes us all back to Century being responsible and not taking care of their customers.
What do you think???
02-10-2004 12:26 AM
corn_tortilla Heliman Location: Round Rock
Kaos,
You must have heard me tell a story/joke before. I just can't keep the audiences attention and always mess up the punch line
Unfortunately this thread is a "Real Life" story about a man vs a company that refuses to do what's right! So far the ending isn't looking to happy.
~corn
02-10-2004 01:19 AM
Kaos2 Senior Heliman Location: Tennessee
I hear what you're saying all right. It seems that all of the mis-direction & debate has gotten people's attention away from the issue that a company (Century) refuses to take care of the people who support them (customers) when they make an assembly mistake of one of their subcomponents. They're your buddy as long as the $$$ is going their direction. Whenever something should go the customers way, they seem to have a habit of the well running dry. I've owned 2 Hawks & a Predator, but they may be the last Century products I purchase.
Good luck Corn.
02-10-2004 01:38 AM
Kaos2 Senior Heliman Location: Tennessee
It's been a BLAST to fly. I haven't gotten to fly it much yet, though. Either winter weather, wind, or other obligations have prevented me from spending as much time with it as I'd like. I built it with the 3D mixing and if I just think about moving the cyclic, it's going. Being as responsive as it is, it's still stable in a hover. Can you tell I love it! When the spring gets here, I'll definitly be flying it the most. I'm still too new to heli's to play very hard with my 60 size machine. I learn & practice on the sim & 30 size, and fly well within myself when I take the Predator up.
Thanks for asking.
02-10-2004 02:38 AM
heuy-kid15 Heliman Location:
i have had 3 difrent hawks and two of them were hands free century makes a great helicopter sorry about that corn my other hawk flys just fine i love all three (great trainer)
02-10-2004 06:17 AM
rp56 Senior Heliman Location: Woodland, WA
where do you find that the "debate and misdirection" to take away from the issue at hand? there are a lot of people posting that they have no problems with century services. most of the bashers are repeat offenders. i am not a century cheerleader, i buy what ever i like, i think that there are several brands to choose from, that have stronger points in so areas and weaker in others. i just can't see how some people form ideas that are not true. if you never bought or delt with century, how can you state opinion like its fact? you kind of people are the ones that turn the issue into something more than what it really is with arrogant statments that you have no experiences to back them up.
NOTE: Using a sledgehammer isn't viable for me. 
So far the ending isn't looking to happy. 
